Posted on

Less Stress is Best: The benefits of Vitamin C and Magnesium

Vitamin C and Magnesium can be wonder supplements when it comes to reducing stress levels and increasing the quality of your sleep. Taking these supplements at the right doses and at the correct times will help to enhance your results at the gym and make you more productive at your job!

During and post exercise your body is in a state of stress. This stress is found in the form of high cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone activated by the instinctual ‘fight or flight’ response that allows us to access energy straight away.

Unfortunately, this energy comes at a cost. While cortisol levels are high, the body is being broken down to be metabolised as energy. The sooner cortisol levels are minimised, the quicker our bodies can start to repair and recover from intense exercise. One of the best ways to do this is by taking a large dose of vitamin C straight after exercise.

Vitamin C has been shown in numerous studies to reduce cortisols levels. I would also recommend taking Vitamin C in smaller amounts throughout the day (about 7-10 grams in total) to help keep cortisol levels in check. The best way to do this is to space the doses out over the course of the day (eg 3-4 doses of 2 grams). It is critical that one of these doses is immediately taken post workout to reduce cortisol. Reducing cortisol isn’t the only benefit from Vitamin C, check out the other benefits you’ll receive from our citrus friends.

Another great way to relieve stress is to get better sleep. A restful night’s sleep can make all the difference to your mood and conversely make you grumpy and unbearable if you have a bad one. Taking magnesium an hour before you go to bed will help to relax your mind as well as your muscles. A relaxed mind is a restful mind making the transition to sleep much easier. Taking 1 gram of Magnesium with dinner and then 1 gram just before bed should help you rest easy! Try to avoid any Magnesium supplements that have been oxidised as they are poorly absorbed by the body.

Why is this important?

The better rested you are, the fewer unwanted stress hormones you have flowing around your system the more productive and pleasant person you will be. Other benefits include being able to train harder, longer and more often!

Sounds like a recipe of success to me. 

If you would like an advice on supplementation or anything fitness related email/text/ call me I’m happy to help!

Sean Neal

(P) 027 461 5108
(E) sean.neal@innovativeresultspt.com

Posted on

Fat Burning Breakfast Frittata

You might frequently find yourself hungry between breakfast and lunch – Time to reach for the biscuits and energy drinks? Absolutely not! The best way to combat this is by adjusting your breakfast menu; being consistent with good breakfast choices is the fastest way to feeling great, motivated and ready to tackle the day.

Here is one of my favourite recipes designed to decrease your sugar cravings and appetite between breakfast and lunch!

Total Calories: 885          Protein: 55 grams           Fat: 68 grams     Carbohydrates: 15 grams

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 eggs
  • Dash of milk (20-30 mls)
  • Coconut Oil (15-20 grams)
  • Almonds (30 grams)
  • Feta Cheese (40 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (to accelerate metabolism)
  • ½ teaspoon of Cinnamon (good for weight loss- helps to stabilise insulin and blood sugar levels)
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric (good for brain function, also has anti inflammatory and antioxidant benefits)
  • 100mls of tomato puree
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Handful of Basil (diced)
  • Salt/Pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat a deep pan on a medium heat and melt coconut oil.
  2. Whisk together eggs, milk, spices, salt & pepper, tomato puree and basil. Mix in vegetables and almonds and place into the pan. Cook until the top of the frittata is almost cooked through.
  3. Flick the grill on high, place the feta on top of the frittata and finish in the oven. The frittata is ready to enjoy when the feta starts of melt and the top of the frittata turns a nice golden brown.
  4. Remove the frittata from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes – this will make it easier to remove from the pan.

And enjoy!

Sean Neal

(P) 027 461 5108
(E) sean.neal@innovativeresultspt.com

Posted on

Little pain, big gain: Tips to maximise shorter training sessions

Winter is coming. Over this season we may become busier at work or want to spend more time watching our favourite TV show!  Either way with limited time we can still have a great workout by making a couple of tweaks. The best way to do this is to eliminate those time consuming isolation exercises with some heavy compound movements. Compound movements work more muscles than isolation exercises so we can compensate less work time by using bigger exercises.

Here are a few exercise replacements to help you cut down time and bulk up muscle:

Tricep extension to close grip bench press

Skull crushers to California press (The best exercise for your triceps you’re not doing)

Light barbell curls to weighted supinated grip chin ups

Leg extension to lunges

Hamstring curls to deadlifts

Pec flys to decline barbell press

Another tip is to increase intensity by dropping your rest time. Reducing your rest period helps to increase lactic acid levels, which in turns increase the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone is great at burning fat giving you the lean, toned look.

Try to keep your rest period to 1 min. This helps to exhaust our ATP energy system which leads to greater hypertrophy (building muscle). Also keep a strict tempo – no one wants to see poorly executed cheat curls done at the speed of light!
For most of these exercises a 4 second eccentric contraction followed by a 1-2 second concentric contraction with 7-12 reps per set will ensure you reach hypertrophy.

Even though you may need to cut your workout time down this season you can still achieve that strong physique.